Artificial limb



H. S. SWANK.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

HEM P atented Aug. 5, 1890..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HIRAM STREEBY SlVANK, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,497, dated August 5, 1890. Application filed October 10, 1889. Serial No. 326,623. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Beit'known that I, HIRAM STREEBY SWANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to the improvement of artificial limbs, and has particular relation to the ankle-joint.

The objects of my invention are to provide an artificial limb with a superiorform of anklejoint, by means of which the lateral, forward, and other natural motions of the foot and connected limb may be attained easily by the wearer; to accomplish the same at a reasonable cost of manufacture and without con1plication, and in so doing produce a safe, durable, and reliable joint, and to so form said joint as to obviate the necessity of using cords other than the heel-cord. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of my improved foot with the leg and connections removed. Fig. 2 is a view of the lower end of the leg. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section taken through the connected foot and leg. Fig. 4 is a bottom View of the rear portion of the foot. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in elevation, of the joint-rods. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the key which I use for adjusting the joint-rods to regulate the play of the same, and Fig. 7 is a plan View of the leg-section.

Similar letters refer to si 111 ilar parts throughout the several views.

a represents the foot, and b the lower portion of the leg, said foot andleg being formed of any suitable material. The upper side of the foot, at a pointvertically opposite the hollow thereof, is provided, as shown, with a circular depression or socket c, from the bottom and center of which is made to project upwardly a bearing-piece cl, having, as shown, approximately the form of a half-ball. Said half-ball is of such circumference at its base as to form between the same and the wall of the socket c a circular channel.

Formed in the upper half of the bearing (Z is a socket e, which communicates with a depression f, formed in the bottom of the foot by a joint-rod hole, as hereinafter described.

with the usual hollow or socket i, which ter- I minates at a point a short distance-preferably about three inchesabove the lower end of the said legsection. Formed in the lower side of the leg, at the center of the concavity forming the leg-socket h, is a smaller upwardly-extending socket h, correspondingin size with the socket e of the ball (Z and producing a continuation of the same when said ball and socket are brought together.

71; 7e represent, respectively, the upper and lower joint-rods, which, as shown, are fiattened throughout a portion of their length and have the form of a screw throughout their remaining portions. The lower flattened portion of the upper rod 7c terminates within the leg-socket h in the form of an eye, as shown. From this point the rod 7; is continued upwardly through the solid portion of the leg and has its screw-threaded upper end terminatin within the socket 2', where it is held by a nut l. The flattened upper portion of the lower joint-rod 7a terminates within the depression 6 of the ball in the form of an eye, as shown. From this point said rod is continued downward through the foot and its lower screw-threaded portion allowed to terminate within the depression f in the footbottom. The lower end of this rod is provided'with a disk-shaped nut m, which fits loosely Within the depression f. The eye in. the lower end of the joint-rod 7t and the eye in the upper end of the rod 70 are connected by a link n, which passes loosely through said eyes.

Formed in the rear portion of the leg-section and communicating at its upper end with the leg-socket i, is a cord channel or hole 1), which, passing downward through the leg, has acontinuation a through the heel of the foot.

Through these cord-holes is made to pass an ordinary flexible heel-cord p, having its ends terminating in loops, said loops projecting,

respectively, Within the leg-hollow i and within a suitable depression in the foot-bottom. The lowerend loop is held by a transverse pin r, which passes through said loop. The upper end loop is supported by a pin 8, which passes therethrough and which has one of its ends resting upon a cross-pin t, fixed across the lower portion of the socket t', and which has v its-remaining end inserted in the wall of said socket. The outer surface of the ball 61 is provided with a thin metallic plating 8, while the concavity forming the socket h is lined with leather or other suitable material t.

I am aware that various means have been heretofore employed to impart to the foot the desired lateral and other motions; but these devices differ from mine in many points of construction and operation. I

The link-connection between the foot and leg-joint rods herein described will not only afford a backward and forward movement, but will afford such lateral and other movements as the astragalus in the natural ankle. The half-ball bearing-piece d and its surrounding channel will afford a perfect seat for the leg-socket, admitting of the desired play or rocking motion with perfect safety. The joint-link is round in cross-section and. the eyes of the joint-rods are of such size as to admit of the free movement of the link ends therein. As shown and described, the center of the joint-link is central between the foot and leg, it being partially within the legsocket and partially within the ball-socket, thus giving the joint and foot and leg connection a common center fromwhich all movement will be made.

By the herein-described construction and operation it will be seen that the jointed connection of the foot and leg being made through the center of the ball-bearing piece the use of cords other than the heel-cord is obviated, and that the freedom of the joint may be regulated by turning the nuts land m. The latter may be readily turned by insert ing the points v of the key 1) (shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings) in holes formedin said nut on opposite sides of the center. The flattened portion of the joint-rods will serve to prevent a rotary motion of the foot and leg.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isp In an artificial limb, the combination of the foot a, havinga circular depression a in the top thereof, and a half-ball d, projectingfrom said depression, and a socket e in said halfball, with the leg-section I), having the bearing-extension g, pro-vided with the socket h,

and the depression h in said socket, the jointrods 7c, linked together at their innerends in the depressions h and 6, formed, respectively, in the recess h and the half-ball d, and adj ustably secured at their outer ends in the legand foot, substantially as described.

BARTON GRIFFITH, O. O. SHEPHERD. 

